Primrose Schools® First to Receive New AdvancED® Accreditation for Early Learning Schools

ATLANTA, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Primrose Schools, The Leader in Educational Child Care^®, has earned AdvancED accreditation under the new Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. The new accreditation Standards and Protocol mark a shift in the early learning arena toward greater accountability and higher quality standards.

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"Child care providers are under pressure to improve the quality of education they deliver to young children. The new AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools provide the framework necessary to drive excellence and continuous improvement in early learning programs across the world," said Claudia Carter, AdvancED Vice President for Accreditation.

After serving on the team that developed the new Standards last fall, Primrose was chosen as the sole Early Learning Organization to pilot the new Early Learning Standards, which outline best practices for the education and care of young children. As part of the pilot, AdvancED conducted onsite reviews of a random sample of Primrose schools to evaluate how well they performed against the new AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. The AdvancED Accreditation Commission voted at its June meeting to grant accreditation to the entire Primrose system.

Primrose first earned AdvancED accreditation in 1998, and now holds the AdvancED Corporation Systems Accreditation. During this most recent rigorous accreditation process, the review team also evaluated the effectiveness of the quality assurance process Primrose implements across all of its schools to ensure student achievement; safe, nurturing and enriching learning environments; and efficient, effective operations staffed by highly qualified educators.

"We seek to serve institutions that are dedicated to a standards-based approach to quality improvement for the ultimate benefit of their students," said Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D., President and CEO of AdvancED. "Primrose has produced strong results over the years, positioning them well to achieve accreditation through the new Early Learning Standards." 

Earning accreditation based on the AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools–the highest-level accreditation an early learning school can receive–ensures each school meets high standards specific to early learning, development and care. The Standards focus on how well schools prepare children for future success as well as how they address the health and safety of children in the facility. They challenge schools to enter into a process of continuous improvement and to reach higher, examine their operations and outcomes more closely, and demonstrate best practices in early learning.

Dr. Mary Zurn, Vice President of Education for Primrose Schools, served on the AdvancED committee that developed the Standards. "We're honored to be part of this effort to raise the bar for early childhood education. This milestone is an important one because we know that experiences in the first few years of life are critical to our children's future and, consequently, to the future of our country."

The AdvancED Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools go into effect in the 2012-13 school year for all schools that wish to earn accreditation through the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) accreditation divisions of AdvancED. Primrose continues to review individual schools through its internal quality assurance program every year and will be evaluated every five years by AdvancED to renew its AdvancED Corporation Systems Accreditation.

About AdvancED
AdvancED offers school improvement and accreditation services to education providers of all types in their pursuit of excellence in serving students.  AdvancED operates three regional accrediting agencies, accrediting 30,000 institutions in over 70 countries serving over 16 million students. AdvancED is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).

Accreditation is a process of helping institutions improve through a systematic program of evaluation, assuring that an institution not only meets quality standards, but also that it demonstrates a continuous commitment to providing quality education programs that are aimed at improving student performance.

For more information, please visit www.advanc-ed.org.

About Primrose Schools®
Celebrating 30 years of service in 2012, Primrose Schools is the nation's leader in providing a premier educational child care experience in more than 245 schools in 17 states. Primrose partners with parents to help children build the right foundation for future learning and life, and offers an environment that helps children have fun while nurturing Active Minds, Healthy Bodies and Happy Hearts^®.

The Balanced Learning^® system, consistently delivered in all Primrose Schools nationwide, is designed to provide high quality educational experiences to support children's social-emotional, cognitive, creative and physical development.  It is made up of an exclusive standards-based curriculum that enables teachers to help children gain the knowledge and skills that will enable them to move successfully from one level of development to the next as well-rounded individuals. The system also offers developmentally appropriate materials and equipment for all classrooms; multiple forms of assessment; and extensive training for teachers. 

Primrose is the first early childhood education organization in the country to receive AdvancED Corporation Systems Accreditation under the new Standards for Quality Early Learning Schools. This accreditation ensures all Primrose schools meet the highest quality standards and shows they are continually improving student learning. Primrose Schools stands behind its commitment to deliver an exceptional early childhood experience with the Primrose Guarantee, a parent's assurance of complete satisfaction. For more information, visit www.PrimroseSchools.com.

SOURCE Primrose Schools